Throughout much of the past century, national executives controlled local government in the cities of Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Caracas, Guatemala City, Havana, Lima, Mexico City, Santiago, and São Paulo. Myers (political science, Pennsylvania State U.) and Dietz (government, U. of Texas) present nine case studies on the changing nature of governance in those cities, examining the growing role and importance of mayors and municipal councils since the 1980s. Introductory and concluding chapters examine the major themes of the case studies: the strengthening of municipal political institutions, the reluctance to empower mayors to police the capitals, the constraining impact of attitudes of entitlement on mayoral power, the changes in capabilities and tactics used by interest groups, and the declining capability of the urban built environment to project meaning on a national scale.

Throughout much of the past century, national executives controlled local government in the cities of Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Caracas, Guatemala City, Havana, Lima, Mexico City, Santiago, and São Paulo. Myers (political science, Pennsylvania State U.) and Dietz (government, U. of Texas) present nine case studies on the changing nature of governance in those cities, examining the growing role and importance of mayors and municipal councils since the 1980s. Introductory and concluding chapters examine the major themes of the case studies: the strengthening of municipal political institutions, the reluctance to empower mayors to police the capitals, the constraining impact of attitudes of entitlement on mayoral power, the changes in capabilities and tactics used by interest groups, and the declining capability of the urban built environment to project meaning on a national scale.